Francisco Guterres

president of East Timor

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July 21, 2026

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Francisco Guterres, also known as Lu-Olo, became the fourth president of East Timor in March 2017. He is a member of the "75 Generation," having been a resistance fighter during the struggle for independence. Guterres had previously run for the presidency twice without success.12

East Timor, officially Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia that gained full sovereign state status in 2002, becoming the first new country of the 21st century. The nation's history includes Portuguese colonization, Japanese occupation during World War II, and a significant period of Indonesian occupation following a 1975 invasion. After a referendum in 1999 overwhelmingly supported independence, East Timor transitioned to self-governance under UN supervision, eventually achieving full sovereignty.213

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East Timor
History
…the March 2017 presidential election, Francisco Guterres, captured more than 57 percent of the ballots in the first round of voting to exceed the 50 percent threshold necessary to preclude a runoff, and he became the country’s fourth president. A member of the “75 Generation” of resistance fighters who led…
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…the March 2017 presidential election, Francisco Guterres, captured more than 57 percent of the ballots in the first round of voting to exceed the 50 percent threshold necessary to preclude a runoff, and he became the country’s fourth president. A member of the “75 Generation” of resistance fighters who led…
Read More